Profiles of main tech parks, accelerators, hackathons

Myanmar’s relative explosion of connectivity in the last few years has meant there is a thriving, albeit small, tech scene. Despite relatively poor availability of high-speed Internet connections, and high pricing, there is a rapidly developing domestic expertise base.

The Barcamp event, a hackathon and conference for tech types, drew thousands of participants. The country’s main innovation hub is Phandeeyar, which works with civil society, developers and international organisations across a range of tech disciplines. Phandeeyar has fostered a community of developers who use their tech skills to innovate on a range of issues, from rural information access to data transparency.

The government’s Cyber City development in Mandalay Region was established in 2007, and has been the subject of sporadic announcements. Early in 2018, a tender was announced which would further open the park to private businesses from around the world. Little is known about the site and businesses operating there.

Yangon’s MICT park serves as a training centre for IT companies, and is home to the Myanmar Computer Professional Association.